This invention relates generally to installation of a piling which gets driven into the ground to typically support a building. More specifically, though not exclusively, the invention relates to a system, method and apparatus in which a piling ring is manufactured such that it can be installed in a secure fashion without the need for welding.
Generally, pilings may be used to support buildings in a variety of settings. Typically, when the building's footing has eroded or destabilized, pilings can be driven into the ground to ensure that the building rests firmly on bedrock or a more solid foundation.
Typically, a hydraulic ram is used to drive a series of steel pilings into the ground until bedrock or a load bearing strata has been reached. Typically, the pilings are made of steel piping, which comes in four foot sections that may be secured to one another until the piling reaches the desired length. Once inserted, the hydraulic ram and driving assembly can be removed.
During the ramming process, the lead pipe or piling which is inserted into the ground first, is typically capped. This cap or piling ring, typically known as a friction collar, is attached to the bottom most portion of the bottom most piling in the stack. The friction collar adds an additional effective width to the initial diameter of the piling. The use of this friction collar and its additional width clears away an area around the piling as the piling is driven into the ground. This creates a hole in the ground of a larger diameter than the remaining piling sections. The use of such a collar is known to eliminate most of the side friction of the overall system. Thus, the use of such collars is highly desirable.
Unfortunately, heretofore such friction collars have typically been attached and secured to the bottom end of the bottom piling through welding. Welding the friction collar to the bottom piling requires an extensive amount of labor and can easily fail due to a faulty weld.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved friction collar and system and method for installing the same that overcomes the problems of the prior art.